Traditionally, much effort has been expended to balance a number of important consumer-related factors in an oral care composition, such as a dentifrice. Because of the nature of such compositions, consumers have come to expect a variety of efficacy benefits such as cleaning, whitening, gum health, and the like. However, since the compositions are typically used in the mouth and are delivered by use of a toothbrush, additional care must be given to viscosity, rheology, mouth feel and taste as these are also important to consumers. A particular consumer concern is that a composition not be too runny or too thick but will fairly easily dispense out of a tube or other packaging and then sit on top of the toothbrush bristles. Efforts to improve these attributes are therefore common in the art, with varying success.
Cleaning abrasives such as silicas, (for example cleaning precipitated silicas) have been used in dentifrice compositions to mechanically clean the tooth surface.
Humectants such as polyethylene glycols have been used in dentifrice compositions to modify viscosity and to provide a smooth feel to dentifrice compositions. Polyethylene glycols are available in a large range of average molecular weights and have different properties depending upon their average molecular weights.
Despite the wide array of dentifrice products currently available, a need still exists for a composition that can provide good cleaning and efficacy while delivering good rheology and viscosity to improve the consumer use experience.